Pavlich: Trump shakes up the UN

The expectations for President Trump were high when he walked into the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning. Would his first speech to the international body be tempered and diplomatic? Harsh and critical? Isolationist or cooperative? Off-script or on?

With his top diplomatic team watching, made up of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and national security adviser H.R. McMaster, the president stepped to the lectern with confidence and delivered for America. His words served as examples for the rest world, soon to be followed by actions.

{mosads}“The greatest in the United States Constitution is its first three beautiful words. They are: ‘We the people,’ ” the president said as he began to lay out his speech to the world. “Generations of Americans have sacrificed to maintain the promise of those words, the promise of our country and of our great history. In America, the people govern, the people rule, and the people are sovereign. I was elected not to take power, but to give power to the American people, where it belongs.”

“In foreign affairs, we are renewing this founding principle of sovereignty. Our government’s first duty is to its people, to our citizens — to serve their needs, to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights, and to defend their values,” he continued. “As president of the United States, I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries will always, and should always, put your countries first.”

During his remarks the president was able to reject globalism and solidify American sovereignty, while also maintaining important relationships with other countries. His message here was consistent with the one he had on the 2016 campaign trail: America first, not alone.

Setting overly diplomatic language aside, Trump was presidential yet direct with his words on an international stage he has challenged before. He made it clear he expects results for the amount of investment the United States puts into the U.N. and boldly called out the absurdity of vicious human rights abusers sitting on the U.N. Human Rights Council.

But while many took the most issue with his comments about North Korea and Iran, worrying about nuclear war with Kim Jong Un and preserving President Obama’s nuclear deal legacy, these remarks were predictable.

The real surprise came with Trump’s attack on socialism. Not only did he hold the Venezuelan government accountable for the brutal suffering of its people, he went after the socialist system itself, putting much of the U.N.’s membership in the crosshairs.

“The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented,” Trump said to applause. “From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure. Those who preach the tenets of these discredited ideologies only contribute to the continued suffering of the people who live under these cruel systems.”

His focus on the rights of an individual to pursue their hopes and dreams absent of government tyranny was heard loudly in the chamber. The message that an international body in a faraway place shouldn’t have control over the lives of each country’s sovereign people was heard even more clearly.  

“Strong, sovereign nations let diverse countries with different values, different cultures, and different dreams not just co-exist, but work side by side on the basis of mutual respect,” he said. “Strong, sovereign nations let their people take ownership of the future and control their own destiny. And strong, sovereign nations allow individuals to flourish in the fullness of the life intended by God.”

The response to his remarks, even from those who rarely give him praise, has been enormously positive. Based on the reactions of friends to the U.S., the president made it evident that there’s a new administration in Washington with the proper principles in mind when it comes to solving the most difficult problems.

“In over 30 years in my experience with the U.N., I never heard a bolder or more courageous speech. President Trump spoke the truth about the great dangers facing our world and issued a powerful call to confront them in order to ensure the future of humanity,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

The North Koreans bailed on Trump’s speech, while nearly everyone else stayed. America’s friends have taken notice, as have its enemies.

It’s a new rhetorical day at the U.N. The next step is action toward real change and results, which Trump no doubt expects without delay.

Pavlich is the editor for Townhall.com and a Fox News contributor.